Tennessee received $2.6 billion in total public pension contributions, ranking it 28th in the United States in 2024, according to data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Pensions.
Of that amount, $2 billion was in state pension funds, and the remaining $594 million was in local government pension funds.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Pensions covers defined-benefit pension systems sponsored by recognized government units whose membership consists of public employees compensated with public funds. Local governments in the survey are defined as counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special districts.
The survey provides data on revenues, expenditures, financial assets, and membership for these pension systems, and detailed questionnaires can include additional measures such as liabilities.
Not all respondents provide complete information for every item; response rates vary by data element, which can affect the availability of certain figures in the published tables.
| Rank | State | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $68,520,608,877 |
| 2 | Texas | $24,677,402,957 |
| 3 | Illinois | $21,515,924,757 |
| 4 | New York | $20,518,866,619 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $12,645,373,704 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $11,646,653,769 |
| 7 | Ohio | $9,897,504,901 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $9,418,063,540 |
| 9 | Florida | $8,526,750,377 |
| 10 | Michigan | $7,822,437,605 |
| 11 | Georgia | $6,925,974,291 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $6,218,537,877 |
| 13 | Virginia | $5,809,083,317 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $5,784,281,011 |
| 15 | Arizona | $5,646,852,727 |
| 16 | Colorado | $5,225,688,856 |
| 17 | Maryland | $5,139,693,654 |
| 18 | Washington | $5,020,932,590 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $4,853,515,587 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $4,509,999,223 |
| 21 | Missouri | $4,265,645,114 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $4,193,582,339 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $3,923,246,565 |
| 24 | Oregon | $3,702,221,930 |
| 25 | Nevada | $3,041,274,860 |
| 26 | Alabama | $2,828,046,194 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $2,693,637,143 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $2,623,542,858 |
| 29 | Indiana | $2,578,182,273 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $2,413,954,222 |
| 31 | Iowa | $1,740,088,622 |
| 32 | Kansas | $1,685,106,294 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $1,659,439,547 |
| 34 | Utah | $1,622,517,993 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $1,137,058,350 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $1,088,530,215 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $971,785,871 |
| 38 | Idaho | $924,317,920 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $918,945,335 |
| 40 | Alaska | $773,959,575 |
| 41 | Montana | $726,075,164 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $610,086,493 |
| 43 | Delaware | $558,364,834 |
| 44 | Vermont | $549,975,306 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $352,026,225 |
